Gamblin Picture Varnish

Breathable Solvent Based Varnish


Gamvar Picture Varnish saturates colors in your painting and gives your work a unified and protective surface. Developed in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art, Gamvar goes on water-clear, stays water-clear and can be easily and safely removed with Gamsol.


Gamvar is virtually odorless and ready to apply. Gamvar may be brush applied when the painting is dry to the touch and firm in its thickest areas. For some oil paintings, that might take two weeks, for others, 2 months. To check if it’s dry, gently press your nail into the thickest part of your painting.


A single thin coat of Gamvar provides excellent protection to a painting. If you prefer a higher gloss, a second equally thin coat of Gamvar Gloss may be applied after the first coat is tack-free.


When using Gamvar Satin or Gamvar Matte, it is best to apply a single thin layer and not to apply multiple applications. Multiple coats of either Satin or Matte can dry to a patchy finish or tacky feel, as the 2nd application will reconstitute the matting agents in the first coat. Whenever applying the varnish, brush on Gamvar very thinly. Gamvar dries purely by solvent evaporation. Thin coats easily throw off solvent and typically dry tack-free within 24 hours. The thicker the coating, the more solvent is trapped and the longer it stays tacky. (Varnish applied too thickly may retain a slightly tacky feel even after it has completely dried.) 


When applying Gamvar to a heavily textured, impasto style painting, pay extra attention to areas where the varnish “pools”. We recommend using a dry brush to wick out excess varnish. Use a stack of paper towels to remove varnish from the brush throughout this process.


Click here for Gamvar Varnishing Help

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 125ml
149725
$28.05$25.2510% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 125ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 125ml

149725
$28.05$25.2510% off
Gamvar Gloss saturates colors in your painting and gives your work a unified and protective gloss surface. Gamvar Gloss is the original Gamvar...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 250ml
139371
$42.95$38.6610% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 250ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 250ml

139371
$42.95$38.6610% off
Gamvar Gloss saturates colors in your painting and gives your work a unified and protective gloss surface. Gamvar Gloss is the original Gamvar...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 500ml
146668
$73.15$65.8410% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 500ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Gloss 500ml

146668
$73.15$65.8410% off
Gamvar Gloss saturates colors in your painting and gives your work a unified and protective gloss surface. Gamvar Gloss is the original Gamvar...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Satin 125ml
146833
$28.05$25.2510% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Satin 125ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Satin 125ml

146833
$28.05$25.2510% off
Gamvar Satin gives your work a unified and protective satin surface. Gamvar Satin saturates colors in your painting, yet dries to a lower gloss level...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Satin 250ml
146834
$42.95$38.6610% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Satin 250ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Satin 250ml

146834
$42.95$38.6610% off
Gamvar Satin gives your work a unified and protective satin surface. Gamvar Satin saturates colors in your painting, yet dries to a lower gloss level...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 125ml
146830
$28.05$25.2510% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 125ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 125ml

146830
$28.05$25.2510% off
Gamvar Matte gives your work a unified and protective matte surface. Gamvar Matte reduces surface sheen, while maintaining the deepest values in your...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 250ml
146831
$42.95$38.6610% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 250ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 250ml

146831
$42.95$38.6610% off
Gamvar Matte gives your work a unified and protective matte surface. Gamvar Matte reduces surface sheen, while maintaining the deepest values in your...
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 500ml
146832
$72.50$65.2510% off
Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 500ml

Gamblin Gamvar Picture Varnish Matte 500ml

146832
$72.50$65.2510% off
Gamvar Matte gives your work a unified and protective matte surface. Gamvar Matte reduces surface sheen, while maintaining the deepest values in your...